Staggering level of intoxication in man driving to shop for milk

A motorist who was stopped by gardaí while driving to the shop to buy milk for his child has been convicted of drink driving at Kilkenny District Court.

Judge Geraldine Carthy said the level of alcohol in the system of Guntars Platnieks, Coolnaleen, Slieverue, when he was stopped was ‘staggering’.

Mr Platnieks pleaded guilty to three charges in court - drink driving, not having insurance and failing to produce insurance.

Inspector Paul Donohue said the defendant had been stopped at a mandatory check point at Raheen, Glenmore, at 11.55pm on February 26, 2023. At the garda station a breath test showed a level of 102mcg of alcohol per 100mls of breath.

Mr Platnieks undertook to produce his documents at a garda station but failed to do so. Mr Platnieks had three previous convictions, including two for driving without insurance.

Solicitor Ed Hughes said the charges were accepted. In relation to the no insurance matter, he said his client had been insured but it had been cancelled because he didn’t pay his premium.

On the night in question Mr Platnieks’ wife had put pressure on him to go to the shop to buy milk for his young child, as they had run out. He made the ‘foolish decision’ to drive. He accepted he shouldn’t have done so. Whatever hardship his client avoided by doing this for his wife is magnified by this, Mr Hughes said.

The solicitor asked that the disqualification his client would get on conviction be postponed for a time as his wife is waiting to get her licence and they live quite remotely.

Judge Carthy said: “The alcohol level that was in this man’s system at the time is staggering.”

Convicting Mr Platnieks of drink driving the judge imposed a four-month suspended prison sentence and disqualified him from driving for three years. On the charge of driving without insurance the defendant was fined €400 and disqualified from driving for four years. Failing to produce insurance was taken into consideration.

Due to the level of alcohol that was in Mr Platnieks system it was ‘only for the grace of god’ that he didn’t run into anybody or hurt himself, the judge said, and she could not in all conscience postpone the driving disqualification.